CHAPTER 14

THIS WOMAN'S WORK

A hand in the pocket
Fingering the steel
The pistol weighed heavy
His heart he could feel was beating, beating
U2's Exit

Sorry about the triple posting, but I caught something that needed to be checked out and this software befuddles me.

Warning: This chapter is very disturbing and might offend.

Grissom pressed his lips together as he raced towards Nick's house wanting nothing more then clear roads, but frustratingly, traffic was jammed.

Already he'd put in a call to Dispatch, to have some uniforms sent to the house, but a city-wide emergency had been declared as a commuter train had collided with an abandoned Jeep Charokee. Cars from the derailed train jackknifed into a stationery freight train. A fire had broken out as a result of spilled diesel fuel.

As a result, few emergency personnel were on hand to be on the lookout for a wayward, Texan criminalist or an almost seven tall bald guy.

The Entomologist was convinced Murphy's Law was the name of the game for the evening ahead. A uniform had called into to say they had found Blainey's car abandoned in an alleyway not far from Nick's house.

Overhead, Grissom could see the plume of black smoke from where the derailment occurred.

"Jesus Christ!" He cried keeping his focus on the road. Thankfully, it was far enough from Nick's house that he wouldn't be blocked from getting there by the emergency crews racing in the direction.

He finally saw Nick's house. It was dark save for one light.

He pulled up to the side not wanting to cause a stir, and jumped out.

That's when he saw Tre's minivan sitting idly by. It used to Regine's but Nick gave it to the kid after her death for both selfish and selfish reasons. Nick knew the kid's car was not too far off from visiting the permanent dump in the sky, and it was one step towards moving forward.

Grissom walked toward and noticed the door ajar, he opened it hand on his gun.

No one was in there, but there was fresh blood on the floor.

"Dammit!" Grissom snapped then turned his attention to the house. It was a small bungalow. The flowers in front long dead and the bunny statues looked very out of place with the loneliness of the rest of the house.

"What's wrong with gnomes?" Grissom asked Regine and Nick during dinner which Sara had chosen not to attend with him.

"They creep me out!" Regine smirked.

He looked towards Nick.

"They are rather creepy looking." Nick agreed.

Grissom laughed, "With your luck Nick, someone would probably steal them and travel around the world with them."

"And send us post cards?" Regine asked smiling as she twirled some whole wheat spaghetti on her fork.

"No," Nick said grimly, "With my luck, they'd get kidnapped and held for ransom."

Regine and Grissom looked at each other, then at Nick and the three of them started to laugh.

Grissom's mouth formed into a small smile at the memory as he carefully approached the house.

Nick was shoved into the living room into a leather armchair next to the guitar stand where Regine's favourite acoustic stood.

Blainey stood in front of him, hovering over him threateningly with surgeon fingers which he used to swing around a small blade. Nick recognized it as folding scalpel

Robert Blainey smiled menacingly at Nick who painfully stood up-refusing to be intimidated by him no matter how much pain he was in or how frightened he was by the tall man in front of him who more then likely killed his wife, her friend and nearly Nick himself.

"This came from a kit my father gave me when I graduated vet school. Since your lovely wife got my license revoked, I haven't had much use for it, until recently." Blainey explained as if Nick really gave a shit.

Nick glared, "You killed my wife."

"Your darling wife was a quite the spitfire, Nick A fighter right till the end." Blainey admitted.

Nick's nostril's flare as he dove out of his seat and charged Blainey who dodged out of his way causing the CSI to fall to the floor.

"Nick, Nick. You read too much into things." Blainey said as he walked over to Nick with the scalpel raised.

Nick grabbed Blainey ankle and tossed him down, the scalpel careening across the wooden floor out of Blainey's reach. Nick simultaneously jumped up and raced to a side table near the back door, where unbeknownst to the man, held another gun—A Smith and Wesson pistol-a gift from his dad. It still being there saddened Nick since he had told Regine to use it if she needed it. She wasn't a fan of guns and didn't like the fact that loaded weapons were in her home, but relented for Nick understanding his deep need for safety after his own ordeals.

The gun gleamed in the low lit room; Nick closed his fingers around the grip, and aimed the piece directly at Blainey who instinctively held up his arms.

Not a trace of fear was in the bald man's face. Only contempt.

"Stay where you are." Nick quietly ordered looking for the damn knife, illuminol would determine that there was blood on it.

Three kinds of blood, in fact, his, Regine and Lee and his own- Killers always stuck with their modus operandi.

"You're a crime scene guy, you don't shoot." Blainey smirked as he got to his feet and held up his hands.

"I will if I have too!" Nick was breathing hard, his throat protesting any use of his larynx.

The two men eyed each like two wolves poised for a fight: Poised, eyes fixed, muscles tense.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Nick asked his voice dull yet tinged with rage.

"Oh I just decided that since you look as if you ready to pack things up. I'd leave a present for you." Blainey's long fingers slid into his jacket.

"I said don't move." Nick ordered, gun never wavering

Grissom arrived at Nick's house, heart sinking when he saw the door slightly ajar, and the sound of two voices emerging from within. He couldn't make out what was going on, but he feared the worst. Blainey was there with Nick.

Pulling his gun from the holder, Grissom slowly made his way in; shifting his weight as to keep his foot steps as silent as possible on the hardwood floor.

Through the foyer he went, down a small hallway where he came to a sight in the living room.

Nick in a stance, both hands firmly grasped around the handle of a gun which was aimed directly at a tall, bald man with cold, snake like eyes.

Blainey standing there with one hand in long, black leather jacket, and from where Grissom stood, all he had to do was step between them and the situation would end.

However, the sight on Nick's face made the Entomologist think twice.

RAGE

RAGE is an extreme emotion and explosive anger that can consume someone the adrenaline rush so powerful that it can literally shut down the part of the brain the deals with logic.

And it was clear to Grissom that all logic was momentarily held in suspension for Nick as weeks of grief, pain, fear and loss had twisted into one insidious emotion that could have nothing but detrimental results for the young Texan.

And it would not be without just cause that the rage's ground zero could be exterminated by its victim and no one would find fault for that.

However, Grissom knew that Nick was not someone who would give into his rage unless provoked. The Texan was like a dog whom been kicked too many times and finally snapped and bit.

Unfortunately, the legal and personal ramifications of such action taken against a predator like Blainey were too high and Grissom had no choice but to try and talk some sense into Nick before it was too late.

Reluctantly, Grissom stayed in his spot and decided that he had to find a way to reach Nick-the normally moralistic man whose life had taken such a tragic turn that he easily could cross the line between right and wrong. So it was up to Grissom to prevent that.

Though not literally for his safety, his gun was aimed at Blainey.

"Nick." He said voice quiet and calm.

Neither of the two men moved.

"I've got him Nick." Grissom told the Texan. "You can put your gun down."

"No." Nick's voice was flat and monotone.

Grissom turned to Blainey and ordered "On you knees, hands behind your head."

Blainey smiled facetiously and did what he was told as Grissom continued to order him, "Down! Down!" snarling with each verb!

"But I have a gift for Mr. Stokes." Blainey pleaded as he obeyed the CSI.

"Where is it?"

"In my coat pocket." He closed his eyes and kept up the Sweeney Todd of a smile.

"Don't move." Grissom growled as he reached in, felt around and pulled out a small, rectangular-shaped box wrapped in kitten wrapping paper.

Grissom eyed him with disgust.

"She loved kittens!" Blainey explained the strangely-wrapped box.

"So what do you have to say for yourself?" He asked him.

"Not much." Blainey answered.

"We found the paintings, Lee's clothes, and other evidence and I can see you're wearing the boots. Part of your MO. But where's the knife?" Grissom's voice was tight with contempt and disgust.

"Ask Nicky, I lost it when he attacked me." Blainey answered in a child-like manner that almost rang of 'It's his entire fault."

Grissom eyed Nick who was unresponsive to the remark.

"You're done with Blainey." Grissom said satisfactorily setting the box carefully on the table. The package was much too light to hold any kind of explosive and the entomologist knew that this was not something that was part of Blainey's characteristic. He was too intelligent and insidious for such drastic action. He was more interested in destroying people emotionally with callous and murderous actions on those they loved. He was more Ted Bundy then Timothy McVeigh.

Why Nick though? What did Blainey have against the Texan?

"I know. My wife called me. That's why I'm surrendering myself to you."

Grissom laughed sarcastically as he said, "You're not making it that easy. You're a serial killer"

"Yes, I guess that's what you call me."

"You're not going down easily." Grissom said, "You're here to find one last way to take a dig at Regine. Only now she's dead, so Nick here is the next best thing."

Nick's eyes were still ablaze as his gun wavered slightly.

Grissom looked at Nick, pupils dilated, face pale, extremities shaking slightly, "Nick put the gun down."

"No!" Nick heard the voice calling to him, but all he could see n front of him was the man who destroyed his life.

"Nick, do as I tell you."

"I'm on leave, you don't tell me anything." Nick retorted dangerously his eyes blazing, his face completely blank.

The criminalist's face was soaked in sweat, dripping down the sides of face. His strong jaw clenched, eyes black; gun wavering.

Gun still pointed at the confessed killer, Grissom circled the suspect like a lion stalking a water buffalo weary of the danger, but not letting it stop him from his goal.

"What's in the package Blainey?" He demanded.

"A gift for Nick, I know I've taken so much from his life and I want to leave him a little token."

Grissom looked at the package. He knew he should wait for a bomb squad, but he was confident that this was not an explosive.

Carefully, he scanned the box around. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that Nick's eyes had shifted to the package.

"You are not seriously thinking of blowing us all up?" Grissom asked just to be certain.

Blainey's head went back as he laughed maniacally, "Oh lord no! That would ruin the purpose of my gift."

"And what's that?"

"Have Nick open it." He simply answered starting at Nick.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Grissom said as he set the package on a mahogany table.

The entomologist wanted to open it. He had sinking feeling in him. Judging by the weight of the package, he knew it wasn't an explosive, no Blainey was too smart he told himself again, for a simple explosion. There was something more here.

Grissom slid his pocket knife out and slid down the middle where the opening was, it was awkward given that he still had the gun in one hand, and was opening the package with the other. He decided to set the piece on the dining room table and investigate this gift. The logic being that Blainey was not going to try anything while Nick had his gun on him. He turned slightly away from the two.

Blainey threw a sad, pitiful look at Nick whose eyes had shifted back to him.

"Nick, I'm glad we have this chance to talk." He said as if he were setting in for a therapy session-his voice all empathy.

"Shut up!" Nick answered sharply, voice shaking.

"I really admire you Nick. I mean I admired you for so taking what I would have loved to have. Your wife. I guess I didn't have a chance given that I was not good-looking country boy.

Nick face contorted as he snarled, "You were in love with her."

"Madly!" He exclaimed tears coming to his eyes.

"You call that love?" Nick asked disgusted by this declaration of emotion, "Raping her? Slicing her throat?"

"I just wanted a piece of what you had Nick." Blainey answered as if the Texan CSI should have known why he did the things he did.

"Fuck you!" Nick growled deeply, "Fuck you Blainey. You're a murderer! You're a psychotic son of a bitch!"

"No, just a man whose life was empty," Blainey replied, "Because you're pretty wife systematically destroyed it. She was the sociopath."

"You ruined your own life by your greed, your desire for power over those who were helpless and innocent!" Nick snarled.

"You call her innocent!" Blainey answered, "She had in for me from day one once she got to Vegas. She wanted my business so badly that she went over my head and reported me to the authorities because I simply wanted to utilize animals that would have been put down eventually!"

"And you killed her over that!" Nick answered.

"No, because she kept after me after that, all because I spurned her in the beginning because I wanted to stay with my wife."

"No!" Nick told him, "It was the other way around. You were putting the moves on her."

Grissom opened the flaps and could see blood on the tissue paper. He frowned.

"Your wife was just quite the woman and I could see you two had a lovely marriage. I saw it that night as I peeked through your bedroom window and watched the two of you make love. Quite the moves you have Nick-taking her from behind like that-very animal like."

Grissom looked up feeling Nick's shame as his private life was again on display, "Shut up Blainey!!!"

Blainey was unwavering, "I have clips of it on my cell phone, well I had clips which before I came here I sent to the Lab, every single worker there. I'm pretty handy at the computers. They probably got it oh about an hour ago."

Nick's face blanched and Grissom groaned. There was no time to call IT and put a block on the e-mails.

Admirably, the beleaguered man still managed to keep the gun straight on Blainey, though his resolve was weakening. His pupils were dilated; his mouth was strange line, sweat poured down his brow as he held the gun with both hands on Blainey, muscles clearly twitching, but with a determined reservation Nick held the gun.

"Jesus what is in here" Grissom muttered under his breath as he gently poked the tissue away with a pen on the table and peered in.

He recoiled at the sight!!!!! His mouth opened in shock. Very little shocked Grissom, but this did as did the laminated sheet that was shoved in with it that was smeared with blood. He leaned over and read it carefully, recognizing immediately what it was and then set the pen on the table and steadied himself, nausea hitting him like a fly ball.

Grissom recovered as best he could, inhaling to get himself together discreetly so that Nick wouldn't catch a glimpse of his shock and then managed to get his cell phone out and speed dial Brass.

"Jim!" He gasped, "I'm here with Nick and Blainey."

"Say no more, we're on our way. Traffic's backed up, but we'll get there. Are you guys okay?"

"No, Blainey's got the upper hand here!" Grissom said his voice cracking.

"Gotcha! Hang tight Grissom!"

Blainey's got the upper hand here.

Grissom inwards scolded himself for opening the box. Why! Why! He picked his gun back up and walked towards Blainey and Nick.

"Nick, Nick!" Blainey tut-tut, "It was so enchanting to watch you two in your most private moment. I could see you loved each other very much and after you left, well I wanted some of that love too."

Grissom's jaw clenched as he walked over and stood over Blainey, nostrils flared.

"I think now would be a good time to just shut up!!" Grissom ordered sweat pouring down the sides of his face as he struggled to contain his own rage by putting the gun right up against Blainey's head enraged by the sight in the box beyond belief. All he wanted to do was blow the man's brains out. Never had in his long career the Entomologist met someone so hideously evil.

Blainey smiled at him sweetly, "But Mr. Grissom, you're a CSI and I'm confessing my crime to you.."

"You can do that down at the station."

"But don't you think Mr. Stokes would like to hear how I squeezed through the doggie door, the one she widened for that fat dog of hers to go out. She knew someone was here because her dogs came running at me, but I managed to shove them out. The little one biting me while I shoved him through the doggie door and locked it, then Regine came out to see what the commotion was and saw me there. She ran for the front door, but I caught her. I drug her by the hair into your bedroom. I figured she liked it since you had only done it yourself earlier Nick."

"Fuck off!!!" Nick growled.

"Blainey shut your mouth, not another fucking word until the police get here!!!" Grissom angrily pleaded, breathing hard and fast.

"She fought me oh my lord that girl could fight, but as you can see I'm a little bit stronger then her and so I managed to get her pinned down. I bounded her hands up in duck tape, and then I had my moment with her. It took about nine minutes in total. She screamed for you Nick!! "

Nick grimaced, eyes blinking back tears fighting the images that were going through his head and wanted nothing more then to blow Blainey's head off."

"She screamed for mercy. Oh she hated it when I sodomized her Nick! Her scream was very guttural. Oh it was turn on!" Blainey's eyes went dreamy at the memory, "She had such a luscious ass Nick, but I don't need to tell you that you seemed to enjoy it yourself earlier that night."

Grissom grabbed him by the scruff and lifted him up, "Shut the fuck up!!!!" He snarled. Then threw the man there surprised by his own strength, adrenaline-fueled rage. He was not a violent man, but this circus was driving him to madness.

Nick was breathing, his body rocking with each breath, tears streaming down. His resolve weakened by the images of his wife's attack playing out like a movie in his head. Enough rape scenes Nick had seen that he could visualize quite clearly Regine's ordeal.

"Why did I take that call?" He said, voice hoarse with both physical and mental pain, "Should have told Catherine no. no."

Grissom turned his attention away from Blainey and Nick, "No, no, Nick, don't even go there, this wasn't your fault. Now please, Nick. Just give me the gun."

Nick rubbed his runny nose and shook his head, and muttered a feeble "No."

"Nick c'mon!!! Don't do it! Just give me the gun!"

"No!" Nick laughed slightly at the absolute absurdity of Grissom's persistence.

Then he noticed the package on the dining room table, blood on the tissue.

"Grissom, what's in the package?" He asked calmly.

"Nick, give me the gun!" Grissom ordered holding out his hand while the other held the gun on Blainey." Moving his head side to side as if at a tennis game.

"No, I want to know what is in that package." Nick focused his eyes straight at a sneering Blainey.

"Nick hand me the gun!" Grissom demanded but now it sounded like a plead. His voice was shaking, "This is not a request, but an order. Hand me the gun just give it to me! Now for God's sake!!!"

Nick didn't answer, the gun pointed shakily at Blainey. Grissom realized he was going to have to physically get the gun from Nick, but how to do so without causing it to go off?

Blainey was sitting up again, smiling at Nick.

"She begged for her life Nick.."

Grissom looked at him, his eyes bulging, "I told you to shut the fuck up!!!!"

"She begged, but by then it was too late, I had to kill her. I didn't want to, but I had to, so I took out my folding scalplel and made a nice deep slice to the throat. She was dead within seconds Nick. I hope that makes you feel better, but she didn't go out quietly."

"Enough!" Grissom yelled, "That is enough!!!"

"She begged for her life Nick…."

"Shut up!!!" Grissom snarled.

"Grissom!" Nick finally managed to speak all the while his gun pointed at Blainey, "What's in the box?"

"Nick, put the gun down!" Grissom pleaded almost wishing he hadn't opened it.

"No, what's in the box man!" Nick rasped, his delicate voice breaking, faced streaked by his tears.

Blainey started again, "She begged for her life."

Grissom stormed over to him, "Shut your mouth now!" The normally stoic bugman was starting to lose control and the rage made him want to put this man trough a wall..

Blainey smiled sympathetically at Nick as a doctor who had bad news to tell a patient would..

"..and when she realized that I wasn't going to listen. She begged for the life inside her."

Silence: dead, tension-filled silence-the silence-the calm before the storm.

Grissom slowly turned his gaze towards Nick's stricken face; it was a myriad of pain, shock and horror and for the life him, the entomologist could not find any words to explain this moment.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Nick finally asked his voice breaking, "What do you mean life inside her?" the tone of his raspy voice rising an octave, head shaking in denial of what he just heard.

"I really felt bad that I took your paintings Nick, so I brought you a little token-

her unborn child!" Blainey announced triumphantly.

Grissom felt his guts churning wildly as he moaned out load, gun still on a smiling Blainey.

As if in slow motion, he turned his head back to look at Nick.

Nick was staring back at him with indescribable pain. His laugh lines prominent, tears fighting to come forth to relieve the unbearable pain inside. It seared his soul and sent it spiraling weakening him even more.

"Grissom!" he finally blurted, voice raspy and broken, "Tell me he's just bullshitting me. Tell me please!!!"

"She was about 16 weeks along Nick." Blainey explained in a doctor-like tone, "Fetal parts quite detectable. She was going to have your baby. I even enclosed a DNA sample matching yours, the blood that was on my gloves when I slit your throat-oh that was just a warning Nick. Sorry about that."

Grissom looked up at the ceiling praying for the first time in eons that someone; anyone would put an end to this calamity. "Nick please just give me the gun. Please!"

"No!!" Nick shouted shook his head, tears pouring down his cheeks, "Not until you tell me that what he's saying is a lie!!"

"Give me the gun Nick! Please!" Grissom eyes were moistening, normally the stoic one, even this moment had rocked his core.

Nick was breathing hard, "Grissom, tell me he's lying!!! Tell me for fuck's sake! Tell me she wasn't pregnant! You had to know, you were at her autopsy." The strain on his vocal chords could be plainly heard. Each word painfully choked out.

Grissom just stared at Nick unable to counteract anything he asked or claimed.

Blainey looked at Nick incredulously, "You didn't know she was pregnant didn't you?" He smiled elatedly at the shocked Texan feeling his wrath had its comeuppance.

Heaving, Nick looked at Grissom and it dawned on him that Grissom's cat-out-of-the bag shock that he knew. He had to know!! The autopsy reports would have shown it!

Had Grissom kept yet another secret from him?

Nick moaned and started to sob, "OH fucking Jesus Christ Grissom, you knew she was pregnant and you couldn't even tell me yourself. Why! Why!" The words were spitting at Grissom who was still stunned by his discovery. His voice rose to a shout!

Shaking his head, Grissom answered weakly, guilt-ridden, "I, I, I wanted to make sure we had the killer caught." The answer sounded so weak and pathetic that even Grissom himself couldn't buy it.

Nick blinked rapidly his brain trying to make sense, trying to understand, or to even wake up and find all this was nothing but another nightmare- his breathing erratic, tears streaming down his face.

"Nice fucking job Grissom!!!! Some fucking way to find out man!!!!" He shouted at his Supervisor, "That's just like you Grissom, always keeping secrets from me! What for! What fucking for?"

Blainey enjoyed the angst he witnessed and said, "Actually Grissom, I'm so glad you didn't tell Nick, this just makes my present all the more meaningful!"

"Shut up!!!" Grissom snarled walked towards them, his hands slightly bloodied and noticing Nick could see it. There was his proof!

Then the vestiges of his sanity started to crack as reality gripped him.

"You fucking bastard!!" Nick screamed at Blainey!!!

"NICK!!!" Grissom yelled, "Please give me the damn gun before you do something you will regret and you will regret this Nick!!!"

The charged atmosphere of this fiasco was threatening to implode.

Nick's finger pressed down on the trigger, eyes firmly planted on the evil in front of him.

Grissom stood off to the side, gun still aimed at Blainey but focus turned on Nick as the situation was cycling out of control, "Nick you kill him. Your life will be completely destroyed."

Nick didn't hear anything, his mind wracked with one final memory.

"Gees, I better go babe!" Nick said sitting up in the bed, searching for his boxers.

After an hour of making love, easing weeks of tension, he realized it was time to get to his shift.

Regine sat up looking refreshed and happier then she'd had in weeks.

"I've got something I want to tell you, you're birthday is coming up and I was going to save it for now."

The phone beeped again. Nick growled, "Alright! I'm coming! I'm coming!" He jumped get to his jeans back one, "Reg, can this wait?"

Clearly disappointed, she simply shrugged smiling, "Yeah sure it can wait. No problem."

She pulled her U2 T-shirt over her head and watched him go. Nick leaned over and kissed her- a big grin on his face.

"I can't wait to hear it!" He grabbed packed his weapon quickly and darted out the door.

Someone in the room was sobbing as Nick reeled between memory and reality wanting to lose himself in the memory knowing he couldn't and then it struck him that she had planned to tell him at the moment about her pregnancy, but like the good soldier Nick was he headed off to as that yellow-journalist proclaimed study some damn skeleton in the desert.

His career. His damn career and he had the gull to criticize her about her advocacy work.

He had been a shitty husband, but right now he could do something about it. Nick could right the wrong at this very moment.

Nick pressed on the trigger.

"Nick, please listen to me. If you kill him he will have succeeded." Grissom's voice hinged on panic as his eyes narrowed in on the finger on the trigger. He knew had to save Nick before he did something he would seriously regret for Nick Stokes was not a killer by any means.

The gun was wavering.

Nick was heaving with both physical main and the mental anguish then took over, gun still pointing at Blainey.

"Nick, just give me the gun!!" Grissom pleaded.

"No!" Nick cried out his voice pleading and tormented.

Grissom steadied himself, not sure how he was going to say it, but the words simply came forward, "Just give me the gun. It's over. We got him." He heard himself pleading and begging, almost sorry he even opened the box playing into the sicko's fucked up game.

Nick stared horrified at his supervisor who of all people had never, ever lied to him. Then he glanced at the box and the horror of what was in there finally took hold and stilling holding the gun, he grimaced as if someone had punched him the solar plexus. He leaned over, bracing himself on one knee, still holding the gun in one place as Nick furiously blinked tears away.

"Awwww…fuck..oh ..fuck..you Blainey!" Nick yelled, "You son of a fucking a murderous bitch.! You fucking couldn't leave my wife alone you killed..my..kid…too..….you fucking murderer!!!"

Then both hands were on the gun and Nick walked menacingly forward like a cougar with its eye on the prey.

"Nick no!!! If you kill him, he will have won and your life will be over Nick!!" Grissom warned, sweating profusely, "This is not the solution Nick. Give me the gun!!!"

Nick shook his head, "My life is already over, I have nothing to lose." His voice was flat, tears were dripping onto his shirt; his finger on the trigger, starting to put pressure on the steel slowly.

Grissom was determined not to let fate take its course, "Nick!!! This what he wants. He wants you to finish this. Because he has nothing left, nothing. He wants you to kill him because then you're finished and his revenge on your wife will be completed. It's not enough that she's gone; you need to be destroyed too in every way possible because you took what he wanted. Don't you let him do this to you Nick!!! Don't let him win. Regine would not want this!"

Nick was breathing rapidly, the pain of his injuries and the emotional distress of this horrid story becoming clear.

Walking towards Nick, his hand outstretched Grissom continued to plead soflty, "Nick."

Blainey was smiling at Nick, beckoning him to kill him. He wanted this to happen. He had nothing to live for.

Grissom's voice was high-pitched with anxiety as it started to appear Nick was gonna give into his rage, "Nick please give me the gun. Regine was a woman who did not believe in revenge. She believed in justice without violence. She believed all solutions could be resolved without the use of deadly force. And if you kill Blainey, you've destroyed part of what she was working towards-a world without sorrow. Giving me the gun means that in the end, she won. You win too.

Nick's breathing could be heard through the room.

Grissom continued, "If you kill Blainey, you will go to jail. If you let him live, then you can continue Regine's work for her and that's how her memory will live on Nick. Killing Blainey is not going to bring her back."

Grissom could see the proverbial wheel churning in Nick's head and that his words were slowly starting to register.

"Nick, you don't want to kill him. I know you. I've known you for several years and I'm 100 per cent certain that when you get past the pain and the rage you're feeling, you will be thankful that you didn't act on it. The pain you are feeling right now is minimal to the pain you will feel if you take another person's life out of revenge."

Blainey was still on the floor, on his knees, hands behind his head. Eyes closed as he waited for Nick to kill him.

Grissom stood in front of him, one hand out, the other on Blainey.

Nick took his eyes off Blainey and on Grissom and saw the fear in his Supervisor's eyes.

Colour was slowly returning to Nick's face as his he digested his supervisor's words.

His pupils returning to normal and in rage's place, grief took over as Nick's face crumpled and the wavering arm holding the gun slowly came down as he walked backwards, hitting the wall and sliding down sobs coming from him.

Grissom still didn't have Nick's gun, but at least it stopped pointing at Blainey.

He walked over to the crumpled Texan and placed a hand on his shoulder as the man sat there looking shell-shocked, tears simply falling wherever they wanted.

"Nick you did the right thing!"

But Nick's eyes had widened with alarm as a figure jumped up, both hands on a knife as he launched towards Grissom!!

Nick jackknifed to his feet and shoved Grissom aside and fired his gun directly into Blainey's skull and as if in a dream Nick's arm suddenly took a life of its own and took control of the gun while the rest of him went elsewhere.

Grissom, however, had been shoved into Regine's piano and he watched in horror as if this were all in slow motion Nick continuing to empty his gun into Blainey's body-the bald man's body jerked with each shot!

Nick continued firing until a clicking sound indicated that the gun was empty-his arm dropped and hung slack at his side and the gun fell from his hand and clunked onto the hardwood floor twirling slightly before coming to a stop.

Then he simply went into the bedroom and slammed the door.